Think Like a Game Designer: Justin Gary on AI, Community, and Creative Iteration

03/18/25 • 49 min

Justin Gary, CEO of Stoneblade Entertainment and author of 'Think Like a Game Designer.' They discuss Gary’s core design loop framework, focusing on how AI can enhance each step: inspiring, framing, brainstorming, prototyping, testing, and iterating. Gary talks about the importance of games in learning and building connections, his favorite games, and the role of AI in accelerating game design. The conversation extends to community building, the similarities between game design and other creative processes, and effective marketing strategies. Gary also touches on the value of adding consistent value to communities, giving a peek into upcoming projects and his remote, diverse team at Stoneblade.

Check out Justin's Resources:
https://stoneblade.com/
https://justingarydesign.substack.com/https://www.thinklikeagamedesigner.com/https://www.reddit.com/user/Justin_Gary/
Socials:
https://x.com/JustinGary
https://www.linkedin.com/in/justingary/

(00:00) - Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
(01:44) - The Essence of Games and Their Impact
(03:50) - Favorite Games and Community Building
(09:03) - The Role of AI in Game Design
(11:40) - Prototyping and Iteration in Game Design
(22:20) - Emotional Connection in Game Design
(28:35) - Building Community in Games
(29:21) - Creating Engaging Game Formats
(30:08) - The Role of Story in Games
(31:44) - The Importance of Super Fans
(32:05) - Marketing Strategies for Games
(35:05) - Parallels Between Game Design and Business
(39:33) - Embracing Uncertainty and Risk
(46:48) - Current and Future Projects
(50:30) - Connecting with the Community

Check out our brainy games:

Sumplete - https://sumplete.com
Squeezy - https://imsqueezy.com/
Kakuro Conquest - https://kakuroconquest.com
Mathler - https://mathler.com
Crosswordle - https://crosswordle.com
Sudoku Conquest - https://sudokuconquest.com
Hitori Conquest - https://hitoriconquest.com
Wordga - https://wordga.com

(00:00) - Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
(01:44) - The Essence of Games and Their Impact
(03:50) - Favorite Games and Community Building
(09:03) - The Role of AI in Game Design
(11:40) - Prototyping and Iteration in Game Design
(22:20) - Emotional Connection in Game Design
(28:35) - Building Community in Games
(29:21) - Creating Engaging Game Formats
(30:08) - The Role of Story in Games
(31:44) - The Importance of Super Fans
(32:05) - Marketing Strategies for Games
(35:05) - Parallels Between Game Design and Business
(39:33) - Embracing Uncertainty and Risk
(46:48) - Current and Future Projects
(50:30) - Connecting with the Community

Check out our brainy games:

Previous Episode

Tetris, Chess, and Go: Martin Grider’s Indie Game Design Playbook

Martin's journey in game development, starting from his early days as a web developer to his current focus on iOS mobile applications. Martin shares his thoughts on AI in game development, his preferences for using Swift and Godot over Unity, and his experience with board game conversions and licensing.

Martin also delves into his design philosophy, the challenges of monetizing games in the App Store, and his latest game projects, including a Zelda-ish 2D story-based game.

Check out Martin's Resources:

http://abstractpuzzle.com/
http://martingrider.name/
http://chesstris.com/
Socials:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/livingtech/
https://www.facebook.com/AbstractPuzzle/about

(00:00) - Introduction to AI in Game Development
(00:25) - Welcome to the Hey! Good Game Podcast
(00:35) - Meet Martin Greider: Creator of Abstract Puzzle
(01:21) - Martin's Favorite Games and Tetris Variants
(02:08) - The Journey of GoTetris and Programming Languages
(03:36) - Porting Games to Android and Thrive's Development
(05:32) - Challenges of Swift and Game Engines
(07:45) - Freelancing and Board Game Conversions
(10:05) - Licensing and the Evolution of Digital Board Games
(18:08) - Paid vs. Free Apps: The Monetization Dilemma
(23:48) - Developing for Apple Vision Pro
(27:25) - Income Sources and New Game Projects
(39:04) - Game Design Philosophy and Chess Variants
(44:12) - Conclusion and Where to Find Martin Online

Check out our brainy games:

Next Episode

From Nokia Engineer to Indie Game Creator | Building DeCodex

In this episode of the Hey, good Game podcast, host Joseph Rueter interviews Áron Csatlós, a software engineer from Hungary and the creator of the cryptography puzzle game Decodex, which is available at playdecodecks.com. Áron shares his journey from working at Nokia for over a decade to creating various games and AI-powered tools, including Ground Kids, a personalized training plan generator. The discussion covers Áron's inspirations, development practices like building in public, and his strategies for engaging players. Áron also talks about his favorite games, including chess and League of Legends, and provides insights into his future game development plans.

Check out Áron's Resources:
https://www.playdecodex.com/https://ko-fi.com/csaron92
https://www.reddit.com/r/Decodex/
https://bsky.app/profile/playdecodex.bsky.social
Socials:
https://twitter.com/csaron92 https://hu.linkedin.com/in/aroncsatlos
https://www.instagram.com/csaron92/
--